New manufacturing technology is what has made it possible for us to have the double rifles now available in the price ranges of the Searcy, Chapuis, Heym and others. I presume that the improvements will continue in the next 18 years or so, so I think that will put a damper on the appreciation of the less expensive doubles built recently.

Pure handwork and a long tradition is still going to be special and will attract buyers. Although it seems inconceivable that prices would keep going up, I think that over the next 18 years we will see more and more people in the world interested in collectible double rifles and wealthy enough to bid to own one. Although a lot of the ex Soviet Union - Warsaw Pact countries are having economic difficulties, countries like Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are doing better and will contribute their share of successful people ready to bid. Add the people ready to buy who live in the booming Asian countries ...

I don't know for sure about double rifles, but I know that the Japanese economic success in the second half of the last century created a large class of knife collectors there and they certainly had an impact on the price of collectible knives. You can buy a Loveless now (occasionally) on eBay for $3000 or so. In 18 years they may cost $30,000. at which point someone interested in beautiful things might turn their attention to doubles, if the rifle prices have lagged.

Finally, lots of people might say that the supply will increase, that is more people will hand build double rifles (or knives) for the collector market and that will hold down prices. But in the "collectible" world what is often most important is who the innovators are - who are the ones who belong to companies with a tradition of having contributed seriously to the development of the collectible. Loveless created style and was (is) a leader in the knife building arena. The most beautiful hand built replica of one of his knives will have some appreciation, but nowhere near the appreciation of an original, even if they are indistinguishable aside from maker's mark.

Demand can only grow.